- I don't show up round here very much, being pretty ashamed of my leading-edge eco-terrorist credentials
- I haven't yet manged to wean myself off long-distance commuting (seriously though, with petrol £1.20 a litre that's no.1 new year's resolution)
- I've just returned from Japan where (not kidding) I saw a German Xmas market in Osaka (are there any Germans left in Dusseldorf at this time of year?)
- I'm one of those evil bankers, shovelling wads of cash into a a big skip marked "Chris's personal bonus fund" whilst watching the economy and planet burn

.... as long as you're willing to let me gate-crash the festivities, I'm up for it.

Unless I can wangle the afternoon off, I'll need to get there from Halifax, so won't be along until 5:30ish

Still have Andy H's number in my mobile, so I'll get in touch where necessary.

Cheers Chris_________________"Hard work has a future payoff. Laziness pays off NOW!!"

Well so far nobody has offered to cover any of my shift, so I have to work until 5pm - it'll be after 6pm by the time I get to you.

Where do you think you'll be by then? Will you still be going strong, or flagging... I'm coming from Preston on the train, so it needs to be worth my while struggling through the rush hour commuters... _________________Set The Fire To The Third Bar

Firstly, after being walked to Oxford Rd station, I found that Andy's app was WRONG and my internet had been RIGHT all along and there were no Preston-bound trains. I walked to Piccadilli in the snow (didn't know the way before... I do now) and managed to get a train. Was woken by the conductor telling people that they were making an extra stop at Chorley as there were no cars running in Preston, so people were going to be stranded.

Got off the train in Preston to 1 foot (or so) of snow, went to the taxi place where they had stopped taking orders, stood outside looking pathetic until some guy who was going half the way towards my house took pity on me & said I could pretend to be with them. The heroic taxi driver then took me through virgin snow on country roads and got me home, 3 hours after I set off from Manchester.

How on Earth are we going to cope when PO & CC really start having an effect....??

P.S. Chris - I think that proves Android is superior to Apple. _________________Set The Fire To The Third Bar

Despite rumours of all trams being cancelled, I managed to get one back to Bury in the end, very lucky as the only bus that came was full and drove straight past the stop. The "very helpful" customer services voice on the intercom who had said all trams were cancelled also said that there was no guarantee of buses as none of the councils had gritted the roads. Bizarre!

Glad you managed to get the tram. I didn't text you when I got home to say I was safe as it was rather late and I thought you might not appreciate it!

I'd checked on the internet earlier and don't think there was ever going to be a train from Oxford Rd at that time. I'd noticed that the last train home was going to be at 0.16am from Piccadilly so decided I had to get to that or would be stranded.

The most worrying bit was when I got to Preston after 1am and it was deserted. I was contemplating walking the 4 miles home when the taxi place said they weren't taking any orders. I can't thank the couple I happened to be standing next to outside enough. When 1 solitary taxi turned up everyone was arguing over it, the couple managed to 'win' the taxi and said "she's with us" because they'd overheard me saying where I live. It was pure chance that I was standing next to someone who gave a damn. _________________Set The Fire To The Third Bar

It was pure chance that I was standing next to someone who gave a damn.

Sorry to butt in from Wales . I had a one off business trip to London once. On the way back, the only free seat on the train was next to someone I used to work with, and who lived on my estate! A train in front of us broke down, and they stopped our train a few stations short of our destination. There was great demand for taxis, and not being a seasoned commuter I would have had no chance of getting one on my own, but my neighbour and her regular travelling companions got one, so I got home!_________________John